


It's a Topsy-Turvy World

by anas_penelope



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Humour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-26
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 02:43:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3233273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anas_penelope/pseuds/anas_penelope
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When an unfortunate house fire leaves Regina and Henry with nowhere to stay, sharing a flat with the town's newest Deputy Sheriff seems like Regina's idea of hell on earth. She's just going to have to suck it up, though, because Granny's is all booked up - and who knows, maybe this irritating, messy, rather insensitive woman will grow on her.</p>
<p>Well, I did say <i>maybe</i>.</p>
<p>A seven-part fic combining each day's Swan Queen Week prompt into one coherent, pretty fluffy, story. A bit angstier than it was originally intended to be, but... I'm not sorry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day One - Meet Cute AU

Regina Mills, Mayor of Storybrooke and mother to exactly one excitable ten-year-old, was having a bad day.

She was barely out of the shower when her secretary rang her to let her know about the gas leak on Main Street. So, instead of her usual morning routine, which involved calm, relaxing activities like aerobics in the dawn light of the garden, or using the brief period of peace and quiet to catch up on her reading while she ate breakfast, Regina had to wrangle a sleepy Henry into his school uniform and pack him off to his babysitter.

By the time she got into work, Regina was already in a bad mood, but at least she had some very satisfying shouting to look forward to. Once the last story-hungry journalist had left - this one looked barely older than Henry and claimed to be an intern at the local gossip rag - she leant back in her chair, stretching contentedly. This job might be a pain in the backside some mornings, but at least no two days were alike - there was always a fresh disaster on the horizon. 

As she pulled her lunch - salad, of course, because she had to at least _look_ like she supported the healthy eating legislation - out of her bag, Regina had no idea just how true that would turn out to be. There was a tentative knock on her door, followed by as little of her secretary’s head as he could possibly manage.

“SorrytointerruptMadamMayorbutIjustthoughtyoushouldknowSheriffHumberthiredanewdeputy”

Maintaining the perfect appearance of calm - she had a lot of practice, after all - Regina put down her knife and fork.

“I’m sorry, Sam, could you repeat that?”

“Sheriff Humbert has hired a new deputy.”

She was amazed he hadn’t stuttered, really, but there was a bigger problem here than the amusement of how scared her secretary was of her.

“Yes, I though that was what you said. And I suppose he’ll want a budget raise to pay for that deputy, won’t he? How nice of him to let me know _before_ I finalised the budget.” Registering the look of terror on Sam’s face, Regina sighed and schooled her features to something more appropriate. “That will be all.”

Given how little of him had been in the room to start with, Sam was able to vanish almost instantaneously, leaving Regina to push her lunch away - she had no time for it now. Instead, she was going to have to completely restructure the town budget to compensate for this new “deputy”. Without a doubt, they would probably just be the latest in the long line of potential suitors the Sheriff wanted to impress - Regina still remembered the time he tried to train Ruby, of all people, to take the job. The fact that they probably wouldn’t last a month just made Regina more bitter - in a few short weeks she would have to do this all over again.

So, all in all, the last thing Regina needed was a call from her neighbour saying that her house had caught fire.

Funny how these things work, isn’t it?

—

Emma Swan, Storybrooke’s latest Deputy Sheriff, was having a much better day than the town’s erstwhile mayor. It was only her first day on the job, but she’d already managed to catch a shoplifter while they were out on patrol. Safely back in the station, Graham stood in front of her, brandishing a box of donuts and pastries.

“So it might be a bit of a stereotype, but you definitely deserve this.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Emma took the bear claw - Ruby had introduced her to them on her first day in town, and now she couldn’t get enough.

“Thanks.”

Sitting down next to her, Graham took a bite out of his own donut - full of strawberry jam - and groaned. When Emma smirked, he just raised his eyebrows at her.

“You may laugh now, but when you’ve been doing this job as long as I have, the anticipation of a delicious post-patrol donut will be all that keeps you going.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, until Graham swallowed his last mouthful of donut and wiped his hands on his trousers.

“So, what did you make of your first arrest, Deputy Swan? How did it feel?”

Emma thought about it for a second, remembering the way the adrenaline surged through her as she ran after the shoplifter, the way the wind felt rushing past her, slamming to the ground as she tackled him, onlookers cheering as she cuffed him… Her lips twitched into a small smile.

“It felt exciting. No, _exhilarating_.”

And god knows, she needed exhilarating. So yes, it was a pretty stellar first day.

There was just one _tiny_ little problem niggling away in the back of Emma’s mind, and it wasn’t the overly affectionate ice cream lady: she needed a flatmate, desperately. The only property she’d been able to get on such short notice was a large, two-bedroom flat owned by some up-his-own-arse landlord by the name of Gold, and there was no way her salary was going to cover the entire rent.

Unfortunately, not a single person in Storybrooke wanted to move in with her. Or, at least, that’s how it felt. Even Ruby, her one friend in town, had refused, citing a need to be “closer to where the magic happens.” Whether she meant the town’s (almost non-existent) nightlife, or Granny’s incredible cooking (Emma certainly thought it was magical), she wasn’t sure.

Either way, Emma Swan needed a flatmate, and she needed them yesterday.

—

“How can you not have _any_ free rooms?”

“What can I say, Madam Mayor? Your tourist incentives have been doing wonders for our humble little business.”

The irony of the situation was far from lost on Regina, but she filed that away for later. Right now, what bothered her most was the gleam of laughter in Eugenia Lucas’ eye. She knew… well, _something_.

“You aren’t aware of anyone in this town looking for lodgers? Come, Mrs Lucas, your diner is meant to be the town’s social centre.”

Granny raised her eyebrows.

“Social centre? Goodness, I didn’t know you thought so highly of us.”

Regina just glared. Why wouldn’t this infernal woman just get on with it?

“Well, there is one place I’ve heard about, but in all honesty I don’t think it would necessarily be the best, ah, _fit_ , for you.”

“I don’t _care_. I just need somewhere to stay. Anywhere.”

At the other end of the bar, Emma was just sliding into a seat in front of Ruby, coffee in hand. “I just need a flatmate. Anyone!”

Regina looked up in surprise, her eyes meeting Emma’s own. Which were equally surprised. And had coffee dripping into them - _how_ , Regina had no idea. And wasn’t that the deputy’s badge on her waist?

She grimaced. But it would only be for a week. She could last a week.

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is mainly just an exercise in actually getting writing done and online, rather than my usual gig of being so scared of it not being perfect that I don't even start. So, concrit isn't amazingly important to me atm, but if you like it, let me know.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. Day Two - Roommates AU

Regina really wasn’t sure about this.

 

But then, her bags were already sitting in Emma’s living room and Henry - who was treating this like some kind of holiday - seemed so excited that he would be out like a light come early evening. It was definitely too late to change her mind, but…

 

Well, Regina had already had to gingerly move a lacy bra out of Henry’s line of sight, and they’d only been here five minutes.

 

Emma, on the other hand, seemed over the moon - Regina was fairly sure that Henry and her could be considered much better quality flatmates than the usual rabble in a big city.

 

“-and what time do you usually finish work? You know, when your house isn’t on fire?”

 

Oh, Emma was still talking? Regina shook her head slightly; spacing out was irritatingly unlike her. Not actually waiting for an answer, Emma just kept on talking.

 

"Because having family dinners together would really save a lot of money, right?”

 

Something about that question bugged Regina. It took a second, but then her mind honed in on one word in particular.

 

“ _Family_  dinners? Does that not strike you as somewhat familiar?”

 

Emma shrugged casually, but there was an odd look on her face. Slightly pained, maybe? Then it was gone, and Regina was left wondering if she had just imagined it - it had been a long day, after all.

 

“Maybe. I just couldn’t think of a better word.” She trailed off a bit there, leaving Regina to suddenly feel like she ought to say something. Fortunately, ten-year-olds have little sense of gravity or timing.

 

“Hey, Mom! There are mushrooms growing in the bathroom! Isn’t it cool?”

 

Regina glared over to where Emma stood - she was cringing slightly, Regina was glad to see - before taking Henry by the hand and leading him back into the living room.

 

“I believe they’re actually toadstools, honey, but yes, they will make a _lovely_  science experiment.”

 

Deciding it was best to keep Henry distracted until she had a chance to deal with that particular problem, Regina clapped her hands together.

 

“Now, who wants dinner?”

 

\---

 

A brief glance confirming what Regina already suspected about the state of Emma’s fridge, Regina had sent her out with a shopping list and stern instructions not to deviate from it in the slightest. By the time Emma got back, her somewhat worse for wear carrots were boiling and Regina was staring at the door impatiently, ready to snatch the shopping bags from her and get to work properly. In a sequence of events Emma could only describe as magical (seriously, what is it with the standard of cooking in this town?), they were sitting in front of bowls of steaming tomato pasta before she knew what was happening.

 

Lacking anything that even slightly resembled a dining table, they ate in front of the television. Regina was, as expected, rather disgruntled.

 

“All I’m saying is, if we are going to stay here, there needs to be some form of table. I refuse to live like…”

 

Emma raised an eyebrow. “Like?”

 

Refusing to back down, Regina looked her straight in the eye. “Like a slob.”

 

“Oh, such a cruel accusation, you have cut me to the very core of my being.”

 

“Now, now, Deputy Swan, there is really no need for such heavy-handed sarcasm.”

 

“But there is room for plain insults?” Emma laughed. “And really, we _are_  living together, can’t you just call me Emma?”

 

“Well, _Emma_ , that was merely an observation, not an insult. Need I remind you of the toadstools in your bathroom?”

 

Emma was saved from trying to come up with a witty reply - which was lucky, because she couldn’t - by the sudden sound of her phone ringing. Seeing the caller ID, she looked up at Regina, puzzled.

 

“It’s Graham.”

 

Regina just shrugged. Well, if such a delicate expression of uncertainty could be called a shrug. Leaving Emma to answer, she glanced over at Henry and was unsurprised to find his bowl on the floor - the right way up, thankfully - and him out like a light.

 

“Hey boss, what’s up?” Silence for a second, then Emma quickly glanced at Regina and back. “No, she’s been fine. Why would you think that?”

 

Nudging Henry awake enough to walk to their bedroom, Regina smirked. It was only when was tucking him into the blow-up mattress on the floor that she realised quite how thin the walls were in the flat.

 

“Seriously, you made it sound like the Mayor was really old. I didn’t expect her to be hot!”

 

By the time Regina was confident that her blush had passed and it was safe to return to the living room, Emma had hung up.

 

“What did the Sheriff want?”

 

“Oh, he was just checking to make sure I’m settling in all right. Just the usual, you know?”

 

“Not really.”

 

It took Regina a moment to realise how telling her comment was, but she caught on fast enough to stop Emma from asking more questions.

 

“Anyway, I have an absolute mountain of work to get through, thanks to everything that’s happened today. If you don’t mind, I’ll say goodnight.”

 

“Oh, yeah, sure. Goodnight, Regina.”

 

As Regina returned to her and Henry’s room she heard Emma change the channel from news to something with a laugh track and shuddered. She could ask her to turn it down, but… Well, Regina didn’t know what, exactly, but something stopped her. Instead, she rationalised it as a desire to spend as little time with her as possible and sat down at her - slightly rickety - desk.

 

Even after Regina had gone to bed, she could still hear that laugh track drifting through the wall.


	3. Day Three - Arranged Marriage AU

Emma woke to the sound of knocking. After a glance at her clock, she cocooned herself further into her blankets.

 

“Leave me ‘lone."

 

A moment of blissful silence. And then:

 

“Deputy Swan, I have done you the great courtesy of making you breakfast. If you aren’t out in the next five minutes, I _will_ give it to Henry, and he _will_ eat it."

 

Emma opened her eyes fully, wincing as the light hit them. Curtains, definitely buy curtains. As she sat up, she muttered “It’s Emma” in the general direction of her door, but Regina had already walked away. Seeing no better alternative, Emma stood up and was about to open her bedroom door when she thought better of it. Instead, she picked a hoodie up from the floor and put it on. Satisfied that she wasn’t about to scar any small children for life, she left her bedroom.

 

“Good morning, Emma! Can I have your pancakes?” Henry was grinning up at her, in between sneaking glances at the plate in Regina’s hand.

 

Emma winced; suddenly, scarring small children didn’t seem such a bad idea.

 

“Kid, it is way too early for you to be this chirpy.”

 

He didn’t seem at all discouraged. He just shrugged and looked back at the pancakes.

 

“Well?”

 

“Hell no, those are _my_ pancakes.” Emma walked over to Regina and took the plate; Henry skulked back to Regina and his room. “Thanks, Regina, you really didn’t have to.”

 

“If I’m going to be paying you to run around with the Sheriff, I might as well make sure I’m getting my money’s worth.”

 

Emma frowned, not quite understanding what Regina was getting at.

 

“I don’t want you collapsing on the job now, do I?”

 

“Oh, right.” She stuffed a forkful of pancake into her mouth, then couldn’t resist groaning with pleasure. “How are you so _good_ at this?”

 

“Ten years of practice, Deputy.” Regina picked up an apple, passing it from hand to hand for a few seconds, then stilled, as if she had made a decision. “You were up late last night.”

 

Emma flinched ever so slightly before she caught herself. “Oh, you know, there are better things to do than sleep.”

 

“I wouldn’t have considered watching bad TV to be one of them.”

 

Regina had a very piercing gaze, Emma was starting to notice. She certainly gave the impression of knowing more than she let on. Emma just shrugged.

 

“I guess.”

 

They stood for a moment, each waiting to see if the other would say anything. Eventually the moment passed, and Regina turned back to her bag, dropping the apple into it.

 

“Well then, I hope you have a pleasant day.”

 

Before Emma could reply, Regina had returned to her bedroom and was soon shooing Henry out of the front door. As it closed behind them, Emma glanced at the clock and swore.

 

Being late on her second day wouldn’t be much of an impression, would it?

 

\---

 

Graham managed to last almost the entire morning before he asked about Regina. Emma could tell that he wanted to, at least judging by the tight look on his face and impatient pen tapping whenever he looked at her, but she ignored him as best she could. Instead, she pretended to be engrossed in the paperwork sitting in front of her. It was tedious enough that she was almost glad when Graham broke.

 

“But seriously, she isn’t being a bitch at all? Because that really isn’t like Regina, you know. I’m honestly pretty sure she’s evil.”

 

Emma just sighed.

 

“I mean, she’s kind of cranky sometimes, but evil would be an overstatement. She makes me food, too, and that’s definitely not evil.”

 

Graham looked unconvinced.

 

“She makes you food? It’s not poisoned or anything, right?”

 

“No Graham, the food is lovely. In fact,” Emma paused for a moment, looking up at the clock. “I make it about time for lunch. I’m going out, see you in an hour.”

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“Granny’s, I think.”

 

“Just Granny’s?” Graham was looking at her suspiciously.

 

Emma smiled.

 

“Where else would I go?”

 

Not giving Graham a chance for further questioning, Emma made a break for the door. It was only when she was safely outside that she let herself breathe out and consider the logistics of her plan. Like she said, Regina had fed her very well over the course of the past day, and now it was time to return the favour.

 

\---

 

By the time Emma had been to Granny’s and picked up what Ruby assured her was Regina’s usual, then made her way to the Mayor’s Office, she was getting dangerously close to the end of her lunch hour. Maybe she should just drop the lunch with Regina’s secretary?

 

The decision was made for her when she got inside, though - there was no one in sight.

 

“Hello?”

 

No one answered, so Emma walked up to the door to the inner office and was just reaching for the handle when the door burst open. She stumbled forward and found herself standing in the path of a surprised-looking man she had yet to meet.

 

“Uh… Hi.”

 

After a moment’s awkward silence, the man seemed to collect himself and brushed past her, slamming the door behind him. Regina was standing on the other side of the room, staring out of the window.

 

“Regina?”

 

Emma stepped forward tentatively, fairly sure she had interrupted something she shouldn’t have. Regina didn’t turn around.

 

“Get out, Deputy Swan.”

 

“I just thought I’d bring you some lunch. You know, since you cooked last night and this morning. I though it was probably my turn, or something…” She trailed off. “I’ll just leave it on your desk, shall I?”

 

Finally turning around, Regina sat back down without looking at her.

 

“If you so desire.”

 

Emma moved forward and placed the takeaway box in a space free from paperwork, then walked back to the door. She hesitated, then looked back at Regina.

 

“So, who was that guy?”

 

Regina looked up at her, her usual poker face slipping slightly.

 

“My fiancé. Now get out, _please_."

 

Dejected and a bit confused, Emma left and went back to the station. She was late, of course, but Graham didn’t seem to mind too much, even when she immediately starting interrogating him.

 

“You didn’t tell me that Regina was engaged. Who’s the guy?”

 

“Oh, you met Robin?” Emma nodded. "Yeah, they’re engaged. I’m pretty sure their parents arranged it well before they were old enough to know better, but they never called it off, even after Regina’s parents died.”

 

Emma looked at him, puzzled.

 

“Why not?”

 

Graham just shrugged.

 

“Maybe they actually fell in love. I don’t really know the details, only the gossip. Anyway, enough about that, it’s time to go patrol. You better be paying attention, Swan, because I’ll be testing you on this if you ever want to patrol on your own.”

 

Emma stood up. She could deal with the Regina mess later.

 

\---

 

It was a tense evening in the Swan-Mills flat. Things were fine while Henry was around begging Emma to play video games with him, but once he had gone to bed it was just Emma, Regina, and an atmosphere you could cut with a knife. Eventually, Emma decided she was going to have to address this sooner or later, and it might as well be sooner.

 

“About that guy earlier… Robin, is it?”

 

Regina looked at her, an eyebrow raised.

 

“I see the rumour mill remains intact. Yes, his name is Robin, not that it is any of your business.”

 

“Come on, Regina, I’m just trying to get to know you better. Give me something here. Please?”

 

She looked at Emma, then at her empty wine glass, then back at Emma’s annoyingly earnest face.

 

“Fine, but I need more wine first.”

 

Emma grabbed the bottle and rushed to pour. Taking a long sip, Regina sighed contentedly, then looked up suddenly, as if a thought had struck her.

 

“Thank you for lunch. It was a nice gesture.”

 

Emma had almost forgotten, with everything else that had happened.

 

“Oh, you’re welcome.”

 

“So, what has Graham told you? Or was it Miss Lucas?”

 

Sipping her wine, Regina waited for Emma to collect her thoughts.

 

“Well, Graham said that you and Robin’s engagement was arranged?”

 

“By our parents, yes. A long time ago, now.”

 

Emma hesitated, not quite sure how to most sensitively phrase her next question. Regina just shook her head.

 

“Do get on with it, Deputy Swan.”

 

“Emma.”

 

“Fine, _Emma_.”

 

“Graham said your parents died?”

 

Regina nodded.

 

“Well, why didn’t you break the engagement off?” As she asked, Emma fiddled with her beer bottle, not wanting to look Regina in the eye. This was much too personal for her, but she couldn’t stop herself. There was just something about Regina that she desperately wanted to pin down, to understand.

 

“We didn’t see any reason to. We were good friends, our marriage would have been mutually beneficial, neither of us had anyone else.”

 

Silence reigned for a few minutes while Emma thought that through. Regina seemed engrossed in the television, but Emma suspected it was an act.

 

“You _were_ good friends? Is that what you were arguing about?”

 

“Something like that. He thought Henry and I should have stayed at his. It does make sense, I suppose.”

 

“Then why didn’t you?”

 

Regina seemed stumped by that one. In the quiet that followed, Emma rested her head against the back of the sofa, suddenly feeling somewhat tipsy. How much beer had she had? Eventually, when she had given up all hope of a reply, Regina murmured:

 

“I don’t know.”

 

The look on Regina’s face was too close to mournful for Emma to bear - she reached out and pulled Regina closer to her, putting a comforting arm around her. Regina didn’t respond, except to nestle her head more comfortably into Emma’s shoulder.

 

Neither wanting to disturb the other (they both enjoyed the closeness, but they weren’t quite ready to admit that), they fell asleep still embracing.


	4. Day Four - Canon Divergence

_Emma is in Regina’s office, which is the only part of this whole escapade that makes sense. Talking to someone in their office is perfectly normal. Sense starts to disappear, Emma thinks, when she sees the way Regina is staring down at her: her eyes are so full of unwarranted trust and adoration._

 

_Regina’s saying something, but the intensity of her gaze is too much for Emma and she looks away, doesn’t listen. Instead, she examines what looks suspiciously like a chemistry set sitting on the desk. That’s unusual. Or maybe Emma just didn’t know that Regina had a fondness for the sciences. It had barely been two days since they met, after all._

 

_Suddenly, Emma’s gaze is drawn back to Regina and, without knowing how or why, she’s talking too._

 

_“There you go, telling the truth again.”_

 

 _Emma doesn’t understand the words, but then Regina’s looking at her again and now it’s affecting Emma, making her feel… Happy? She smiles back and yes, it’s something warm and comforting that she feels. When she tries to lean forward, her body refuses to respond, but_ no _, how can she see that face and do nothing?_

 

_The haziness and confusion vanishes, and suddenly Emma is kissing Regina, running her hands through her hair, down her body, conscious of every minute detail she encounters. The scar on Regina’s lip, the way her hair is a bit longer than expected, the rough texture of her blouse… The way Regina’s own hands are tearing at the zip on her jeans, getting closer and closer and-_

 

Emma blinked. Where was she? Her arm ached like nobody’s business. As her eyes started to adjust to the darkness, memories of the night before filtered in - the wine, Regina’s fiance. Oh god, Regina. Had she really just had a sex dream about _Regina_?

 

Shaking her head to try and clear it of those confusing thoughts, Emma lifted her arms to stretch, only disturbed by a disgruntled moan to her left. She snapped to attention. That had sounded awfully like…

 

Yes. That _was_ Regina leaning on her side, fast asleep. Emma shot off the sofa like a startled deer, only remembering to catch Regina and lower her down gently at the last second. Then, she walked away as quickly as she could without making unnecessary noise.

 

She stopped in the doorway, a thought stubbornly making its way to the front of her mind. It was cold in there, after all. She couldn’t just leave Regina. After a moment’s hesitation, Emma went back to the sofa and pulled the blanket - Regina’s, of course - from its back and laid it over Regina. That would have to do, because she was starting to lose her nerve.

 

Safely shut in her room, Emma lay on her bed, the events of the previous night and those of her dream swirling around her mind. It was all far too confusing, so she closed her eyes and begged for sleep.

 

Sleep was a long time coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter tonight because I've been at a conference all day and seem to have lost the ability to breathe. Also, this is where I had to start getting creative with my interpretations of the prompts - canon divergence in a story that's already an AU is just a bit weird.


	5. Day Five - Soulmates AU

“I have to stay late at the office today. Would you pick Henry up from school and feed him, please?”

 

Emma wordlessly passed her phone to Graham, waiting for him to read the text before she said anything.

 

“So since this is technically an order from your boss, do I get the afternoon off?”

 

\---

 

The teacher watching over the kids waiting to be picked up was reluctant to let Emma take Henry at first. Even after she had flashed her Deputy’s badge in an attempt to provide some credibility, Emma was eventually forced to resort to the very effective tactic of posing one simple question:

 

“Do _you_ want to disturb the Mayor at work? No? Thought so. Come on, kid.”

 

Once they were safely in the Bug, Emma glanced at Henry. He didn’t seem displeased with the situation.

 

“Does your mom have to work late a lot?”

 

Henry nodded.

 

“Oh yeah. At least once a week.”

 

“What did you do when I wasn’t around, then?”

 

“Babysitter. Have you met Ashley? She works at Granny’s.”

 

Emma thought for a moment - yes, she had a fuzzy memory of a young blonde hanging around when she went to acquire herself and Graham some caffeine. Hadn’t really left much of an impression.

 

“Do you believe in soulmates?”

 

What? Startled out of her thoughts, Emma looked at Henry.

 

“Where on earth did that come from?”

 

He shrugged.

 

“Ashley talks about it sometimes. She says this guy called Sean is her soulmate.”

 

Emma laughed.

 

“I don’t know, kid. What about you? Do you think you’ve found your soulmate?”

 

Scrunching his face up, Henry shook his head fiercely.

 

“Kissing’s gross, Emma.”

 

“Ah, of course, how could I forget?"

 

When they arrived back at the flat and Henry had dropped his bag in his room, he came out and looked at Emma eagerly.

 

“Now what are we going to do?”

 

Emma paused - how _do_ you take care of kids? The last time she had been alone with one, she had been kid herself. She searched around the room with her eyes, until something sprung out at her.

 

“Video games?”

 

\--

 

Sometime in the late evening, Regina arrived home to find Emma and Henry still playing. She had intended on walking straight in and berating Emma for letting her son stay up so late, but something stopped her. Instead, she stood in the doorway, watching quietly. There was something quite touching about the ease with which Emma and Henry interacted - when Henry would get one up on her in the game, Emma would laugh and ruffle his hair, then pull out all the stops to regain first place, not even letting Henry’s pout sway her. It was all very sweet.

 

Eventually, stifling a yawn, Regina remembered how late it actually was. Strutting into the room, she dropped her bag with a loud thud.

 

“Deputy Swan, why is my son not in bed?”

 

Emma - who had the look of a dog that knew it had done something bad - glanced between Henry, the TV, and Regina.

 

“Well, I guess… Uh… We got a bit carried away?”

 

Sighing, Regina walked over, shooing Henry off the sofa.

 

“Remind me again how old you are?”

 

Emma just grinned.

 

“Come on, Regina, don’t tell me you never embrace your inner ten-year-old? That just isn’t healthy.”

 

Seeing that she wouldn’t get anywhere with this particular battle, Regina followed Henry into their bedroom instead. After he had brushed his teeth thoroughly - Regina checked, because the one time she had been scolded by the dentist was the most mortifying moment of her life - she tucked him in, stopping to talk to him for a moment. She was scared, just a bit, about missing all the important things that happened in his life because she was working.

 

“Did you have fun with Emma?”

 

“Yeah! She even let me choose what pizza to order for dinner.”

 

Regina cringed, before immediately schooling her expression back into something happier.

 

“Yes, I suppose that would be quite a novel experience for you, wouldn’t it?”

 

Once she was satisfied that she knew everything there was to know about Henry’s day, Regina said goodnight and returned to the flat’s main room. Emma was standing at the counter with a bottle of wine.

 

“Want a glass?”

 

Wasn’t that how she had ended up waking up on the sofa with only a thin blanket covering her this morning? Regina’s back hurt just thinking about it, but then again, Emma had done her a big favour today, so… Regina walked over and took the glass Emma had poured for herself, before sitting down on the sofa.

 

“Graham didn’t object to you finishing early, then?”

 

Emma laughed.

 

“I get the impression he knows better than to say no to you, Regina."

 

Having poured her own glass, Emma joined Regina. They sat in fairly comfortable silence for a while, until Emma let out a sudden “oh”.

 

“You know, you have a right little romantic-in-training in there.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Henry. He was asking me if I believed in soulmates on the way back from school.” Emma paused. “Well, he doesn’t put much stock in it now, but give him a couple of years, he’s going to be stealing all the kids’ hearts.”

 

Regina smiled. “A parent certainly likes to believe that. But tell me, Emma, _do/_ you believe in soulmates?”

 

Emma looked as if she was seriously considering it, but then a shadow passed across her face.

 

“Not a chance.”

 

For a moment, Regina was shocked by the amount of vitriol in Emma’s voice - she had been expecting a much lighter response.

 

“Really?”

 

“It’s all bullshit really, isn’t it? Just a way for guys to make you think you’re special and get into your pants.”

 

Regina considered it briefly, then decided to try to divert the conversation somewhat. She couldn’t see it going anywhere Emma would enjoy.

 

“Robin thinks we’re soulmates, would you believe? The fool.”

 

“You don’t believe in it either?”

 

“I don’t know. Even if I did, he definitely wouldn’t be mine.”

 

As Emma opened her mouth to reply, Regina’s phone buzzed. She glanced down at it, then shook her head.

 

“Guess who it is? He seems to be everywhere I turn lately.”

 

Regina looked back at Emma, only to find she was suddenly a lot closer than she had been. As she furrowed her brow in confusion, Emma moved her hand to Regina’s cheek, a light touch. When Regina didn’t move, she leaned in further, lightly touching Regina’s lips with her own.

 

“Want to forget about him?”

 

Regina considered it for a moment.

 

“Yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brought to you courtesy of shitloads of classical music and real life crush angst. (There's not gonna be any smut in here, folks, so sorry if that's something you like in a fic. It's just not something I feel like writing overmuch.)


	6. Day Six - No/Alternate Curse

Emma woke suddenly. It took a moment for her to realise why, but the penny dropped when she heard Henry shouting in the next room. Confused - Henry was nothing if not mild-mannered - she listened for a few seconds.

 

“You weren’t in bed last night! You were at your vault, weren’t you?”

 

Her /vault/? What the hell was that? And anyway, Emma knew perfectly well where Regina had been all night. Feeling more confused than when she had started, Emma rolled out of bed, found a hoodie, and put it on. As she opened the door, Henry stormed past her into his room, slamming the door behind him. Regina was staring at the closed door with what looked suspiciously like tears in her eyes.

 

“What the _hell_ just happened?”

 

Regina doesn’t reply straight away - she’s still fixated on the door. Eventually, she looks up at Emma as if she had only just realised she was there.

 

“Did we wake you? I’m sorry.”

 

As Regina turned back to Henry’s half-prepared packed lunch, Emma could see that she was shaking. She walked over and gently took the knife from Regina’s hand.

 

“Seriously, what was that?”

 

Regina leant back into Emma, letting out a deep breath.

 

“I don’t know, exactly. He has days like this every so often, where he really deeply believes that I’m some kind of… Well, some fairytale evil queen.” Regina laughed bitterly. “Dr Hopper has some suspicions about what’s causing it, but he can’t be sure yet.”

 

Putting one arm around Regina, Emma considered that for a moment.

 

“Well, what do you normally do on days like today, then?”

 

“Very little that’s productive. It’s a fight just to get him to school, but he calms down once he’s away from me. If it’s a weekend or a holiday, I leave him with Ashley.” Regina stopped, colour flooding her cheeks. “It sounds horrible, doesn’t it? Like I’m just palming him off on someone else? I only do it because it’s what’s best for him.”

 

Emma nodded.

 

“Of course.”

 

They stayed like that for a short while, but all of a sudden Emma realised just how intimately close they were. Feeling a little ball of unease starting to form in the pit of her stomach, she pulled away.

 

“Why don’t you finish making that lunch, and I’ll go see if I can talk Henry into coming out of his room. Then I’ll take him to school, and you can take five to calm yourself down before you have to go into the office. Ok?”

 

When Regina nodded slightly, Emma turned in the direction of Henry’s room. Convincing a ten-year-old kid to open the door couldn’t be that hard, right?

 

\---

 

One slightly ill-advised story about knights and queens and saving the world later, Emma managed to get Henry to agree to go school. On the way, unfortunately, she realised that she had somehow convinced him that she was some kind of saviour destined to rid the world of Regina’s “evil”. By the time they arrived at school, Henry had started to craft a remarkably detailed plan for how they would dethrone her. Emma would have been impressed if she wasn’t worried about how much it all must suck for Regina.

 

As she watched Henry go through the gates, an idea struck her - if Regina hadn’t left yet, there was definitely _one_ surefire way to lift her spirits a bit. Looking at the clock, she murmured a quiet apology to Graham, and a thank you to any deity who may or may not be watching for how laid back he was.

 

When she got back to the flat, Emma opened the door slowly and loudly, assuming that if Regina was crying she probably wouldn’t want Emma to see. It was time wasted, though, because it became clear very quickly that Regina was long gone. Not sure whether to curse Regina’s incredible work ethic for the missed opportunity, or to thank it for being such a useful distraction, Emma just shrugged and went back to her car - at least she would make it to work on time.

 

The hours seemed to flow as well as the thickest treacle as Emma sat in the station listening to Graham explaining how such and such a form worked. When Graham finally leant back in his seat and started to suggest they take lunch, she was up and out of the door before he could even finish.

 

Regina seemed glad to see her, at least.

 

“How was he? Did he go into school all right?”

 

Emma nodded, although her smile was half-hearted.

 

“He’s convinced himself that I’m your mortal enemy, though, which can’t be good.”

 

After a moment’s thought, Regina smiled.

 

“At least if he thinks you’re on his side he’s more likely to go to you than just run off. That’s one less thing to worry about.”

 

Walking around the desk, Emma leant on it right next to where Regina sat, reaching out to take Regina’s hand in her own.

 

“That’s a pretty optimistic outlook.”

 

“I’ve had a lot of time to practise.”

 

Seeing that Regina wasn’t inconsolable at least, Emma leaned in closer.

 

“Do you want to take your mind off it for a while?”

 

“Do you mean…?”

 

Emma nodded slightly; Regina glanced over to the door then back at Emma and shook her head.

 

“I’d rather stay like this, I think.”

 

Pulling Emma’s hand up to her cheek, Regina leant into it and sighed. Emma managed to hold it there for a few minutes, but then her earlier unease started to return. Reaching into her pocket with her free hand, she unlocked her phone and managed to get it to play her ringtone.

 

“Shit, sorry.” Emma pulled it out and pretended to glance at the caller ID. “It’s Graham. I’m late back, I should get going.”

 

Regina nodded, looking a little confused. Cursing, Emma realised she hadn’t been here long enough for Regina not to figure out her ploy sooner or later.

 

“I’ll see you tonight, ok? And hey, I’m sure Henry will be just fine. We’ve just got to wait it out, right?”

 

“Thank you. Until this evening, then.”

 

Emma turned and walked out of the office before Regina could properly figure out what had just happened, a nagging feeling of guilt following her.

 

\---

 

Emma effectively babysat Henry that entire night. He would suffer only the absolute minimum amount of contact with Regina possible, which basically meant the only time he interacted with her was when Emma forced him to thank her for dinner as some kind of ruse to stop her thinking they were planning against her. It was all ridiculously complicated and exhausting, and Emma was glad when he finally went to bed.

 

After making sure that he had brushed his teeth properly - Regina refused to compromise on that - Emma collapsed onto the sofa.

 

“I really have no idea how you cope with with being a parent for more than one day in a row, Regina.”

 

Regina just laughed.

 

“Once you have a child, you don’t really get much choice. You just have to cope the best you can, even if it is tiring.”

 

Sitting down next to her, Regina immediately leant in to be closer to Emma. Instinctually, Emma moved away slightly. Regina looked at her suspiciously.

 

“I thought so. What is wrong with you today? You barely want to touch me.”

 

Looking anywhere but at Regina’s face, Emma drew her legs up onto the sofa and sat crosslegged.

 

“It’s not that I don’t want to _touch_ you. It’s more the kind of touching.”

 

As realisation dawned on Regina, her face hardened.

 

“So what, this was just some casual _fuck_ for you?”

 

“No! I just… I don’t want a relationship. I’ve never wanted a relationship and that is basically what this would be with all the cuddling, wouldn’t it?”

 

“Well, wonderful. Thank you for making that clear.” Regina stood up. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to bed.”

 

“Regina…”

 

The fact that she couldn’t slam her bedroom door in case she woke Henry just made Emma feel worse. Instead of a normal flare up of anger, this felt like something long and bubbling. She let out a groan, her head in her hands.

 

What a fucking mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent fourteen hours at uni today. That deserves some kind of award, right?


	7. Day Seven - Forbidden Love AU

Emma watched the second hand on the clock avidly. She was sitting in Granny’s waiting desperately for her lunch hour to end - it felt strange not to be spending her break running around after Regina, but the flat had been empty when she woke. Regina obviously didn’t want to see her.

 

As she started to shred her umpteenth napkin, Emma heard the familiar jangling of the diner’s door opening. Looking around instinctively, she cringed when she saw who it was.

 

Robin.

 

She tried to concentrate on her napkin - Robin, and by extension, Regina, was the last person she wanted to think about - but her eyes refused to follow that simple instruction. Instead, when she heard Granny mentioning Regina, the pair acquired Emma’s undivided attention.

 

“So how’s Regina?”

 

“Oh, she’s doing great. In fact, we were just-"

 

Emma couldn’t help the snort of disbelief that came out of her. When Robin and Granny turned to look at her in surprise, she just shrugged.

 

“Sorry. It’s just, you haven’t exactly been spending much time with her lately, have you? You haven’t even been to the flat.”

 

Robin considered that for a moment.

 

“Well, you’re not wrong, but as I was saying… I just spoke to her, and we’ve decided to set a date for the wedding.”

 

Luckily, Emma’s shocked silence was hidden by the sudden deluge of congratulations from the diner’s other, rather nosy, patrons. As inconspicuously as she could, she stood up and left the diner. Standing outside, she looked up into the rain, trying to let it overwhelm the barrage of thoughts racing through her mind. After a few minutes, all she was was wet and still angry. She had thought last night was a mess, but this? Seized by a sudden flare of rage, Emma kicked one of the chairs, watching it skitter away from her.

 

“Fuck!”

 

After a second, she sighed. All that had done was make her foot hurt, and anyway, what right did she have to be jealous? She was the one who had said she didn’t want a relationship, after all.

 

Whatever.

 

Emma zipped her jacket up and started walking - she might as well get back to work.

 

\---

 

“Emma, about this report you filed…”

 

“ _What_?”

 

Graham took a step back, looking concerned. Realising that she had snapped again, Emma looked away.

 

“I think you should go home for the day, Emma. And buck up your ideas before you come back - I don’t want to regret hiring you.”

 

Looking down at the report she had been writing, she saw that it was just doodles that barely even resembled words.

 

“Yeah… Sorry.”

 

Once Emma had left the station, though, she didn’t go home. No, her mood had a very definite cause and she would be damned if she didn’t address the root of the problem. It only took a few minutes for her to get to Regina’s office.

 

“I’m sorry, Deputy, but the mayor is busy at the-“

 

Barely hearing the secretary’s protestations, Emma walked straight into the office. It took all of her control not to slam the door behind her.

 

“I hear congratulations are in order."

 

As Regina looked up, a flash of annoyance crossed her face, before it quickly settled into a more neutral expression.

 

“I sometimes forget how quickly gossip spreads in this town.” When Emma stayed stony faced, Regina sighed and took her glasses off, looking much more resigned. “What do you want, Emma?”

 

Emma opened her mouth, ready to shoot off some sarcastic, biting comment, but nothing came out. Instead, she looked down, suddenly feeling ashamed. What was she doing?

 

“I don’t know.”

 

Gritting her teeth, Regina ran a hand through her hair.

 

“For crying out loud, Emma, you need to make your damn mind up. It’s you who keeps coming to me, you know. You who keeps acting like you want a relationship, only to back out at the last minute.” She paused, looked down again. “Please, just get your act together. I’m tired of being messed around.”

 

Emma stepped forward slightly, automatically wanting to reach out and comfort Regina, but she stopped herself. Eventually, she sat down heavily in the chair in front of Regina’s desk. They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Emma reached out and took Regina’s hand.

 

“Why are you finally marrying him?"

 

Much to Emma’s surprise, Regina blushed.

 

“Well, that may have been a little impulsive.”

 

Emma laughed.

 

“A _little_ impulsive?”

 

Smiling a little, Regina shoved Emma’s hand gently.

 

“And what about you? What’s your problem with relationships?”

 

After a moment’s thought - how best to communicate such a deep-seated fear? - Emma spoke.

 

“When I was a lot younger, I was in love with… No. I _thought_ I was in love with this older guy. It was a whirlwind romance, and I thought it would last forever. I thought he was the one, you know?”

 

Regina nodded sympathetically.

 

“What happened?”

 

“One day, I went to pick up some stolen watches for him to sell. When I went to meet him, the cops were there. He set me up. After seventeen shitty years in the foster system, I guess that was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

 

Reaching out to caress Emma’s face, Regina looked amazed.

 

“That must have been horrible, Emma. I’m so sorry.”

 

Emma just shrugged.

 

“Shit happens, right?”

 

“Not all the time. There are good things too. What about when you’re not running scared, what do you want then?"

 

Emma thought about it. It wasn’t difficult, not really. She knew exactly what she wanted - it was just _admitting_ it that was difficult. She took a deep breath, looked up, met Regina’s gentle eyes.

 

“You. I want you.”

 

Regina smiled brightly.

 

“Good. Then we can give it a try, right? You should probably spend some time with Dr Hopper, but that’s not a problem.”

 

The possibility of a happy ending - a happy beginning? - hovered in front of Emma’s eyes. She was ready, so damn ready, to reach out and grab it, but then she remembered.

 

“What about Robin?”

 

Regina scrunched her face up.

 

“The whole thing will be called off, obviously. I’ll go see him after I finish work.”

 

Oh, yeah, work. Emma blushed slightly.

 

“I’m sorry, you must be really busy.”

 

Regina just laughed, then leant in to gently kiss Emma on the lips.

 

“To new beginnings, Deputy Swan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, guys. I made it, somehow. Thank you so much to everyone who commented and left kudos, because _damn_ , that shit is motivating, and I really needed it. This is the first time I've ever actually completed a fic, you know? It's way harder than it looks. 
> 
> Anyway, this obviously has a very open ending, and I've still got lots of little plot ideas floating around in my head. I'm going to edit and redraft this a bit, because this is all completely raw, straight out of the mess that is my mind, but then I'll probably continue it in some form. I've really enjoyed working with this format - using seven prompts to come up with a loose storyline, then filling it in day by day - so I might do something similar again. Possibly using the prompts from previous Swan Queen Weeks? We'll see.
> 
> But yeah, thanks everyone, and I hope you've enjoyed this little, way more angsty than intended, fic.


End file.
